The present invention relates to a wave spring and more particularly to a wave spring having uniformly positioned surface projections and a predetermined specific spring tension with improved deflection capability.
Wave springs, having non-uniform surfaces, have been fabricated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,431,120 issued to E. E. Howe Nov. 18, 1947 entitled "Joint for Tubing" discloses a conic thrust plate held in place by a series of springs wherein the springs employ a corrugated washer. This corrugated spring washer, while split, is circular in configuration and comprises a multiplicity of random dimples or individual waves within the surface of the corrugated washer. The washer in this application is used in high pressure joints for tubing or pipes having thin walls thereby providing a flexible connection for tubing including an elastic compressible sealing cushion member.
U.S Pat. No. 4,711,434 issued to D. L. Haag Dec. 8, 1987 entitled "Spring Disk", discloses a solid spring disk made of a resiliently yieldable material shaped into a shallow cone having a corrugated surface defined by a plurality of angularly spaced triangular segments of identical size and shape disposed together upon the surface of the cone in a side-by-side arrangement. The solid spring disk of this device provides an improved spring disk which when compared with springs of the same linear force of deflection are smaller in size and require less material for fabrication. The Haag patented spring is a solid spring and is not a washer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,748,888 issued to A. J. Gerich Jul. 31, 1973 entitled "Bi-metallic Snap Disk and Method and Apparatus for Making Same" discloses a snap disk having peripherally spaced radially extending scallops which stiffen the disk independent of the cord height of the disk.
This bi-metallic snap disk of the Gerich patent has two positions of mechanical stability. When the temperature of the snap disk is below a predetermined temperature which has been determined during the manufacturing stage, the disk exhibits one position of stability. When the temperature of the disk is raised to a second predetermined temperature or greater, the disk snaps into a second predetermined position of stability and remains in that second position of stability until the temperature the disk is subjected to drops below the second predetermined temperature. The inventive concept of the Gerich snap disk does not describe a washer format.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,106 issued to A. L. Gu on May 26, 1987, entitled "Thrust Bearing Underspring", discloses a foil thrust bearing underspring having alternate upper ridges and lower ridges wherein the upper ridges have a height greater than the lower ridges. The Gu device is fabricated using strict tolerances thereby producing a device having a predetermined spring capability. This resiliency or spring rate of the underspring is varied by changing the thickness of the upper and lower ridges. The space that occurs between the adjacent lower ridges has a marked effect on the stiffness of the spring. The stiffness of the spring generally outwardly converges in order to better accommodate hydrodynamic pressure forces which increase radially upon the spring.
A second patent to A. L. Gu, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,267, issued Oct. 3, 1989 entitled "Foil Thrust Bearing", discloses a gas bearing including an integral thrust bearing underspring defining a plurality of foil ridged elements. This thrust bearing underspring includes a plurality of upper ridges and lower ridges alternately, transversely disposed on the disk providing a pre-load support for the thrust disk. In an alternative embodiment of the disk, a plurality of radially outwardly extending tabs locally increase the flexural rigidity of the disk.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,375 issued to W. E. Fortmann Apr. 4, 1978 entitled "Dual Wedge Fluid Thrust Bearing Including Wave Spring", discloses a thrust bearing having in a spaced relationship a wave spring supporting both a thick, flexible plate and a thin, flexible plate stacked between the cooperating bearing surfaces of those members. This support wave spring is corrugated and in function is operable to support the plate as it overhangs the spring pad at a leading edge.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,375,046 issued to D. J. Marley Mar. 26, 1968 entitled "Foil Thrust Bearing Arrangements", discloses an improved thrust bearing for a gas lubricated type bearing having foil inserts placed in the bearing region. This thrust bearing eliminates the distortion problems in bearing components due to lax manufacturing tolerances. The individual foil inserts are convoluted providing the bearing with added resilience and depth materially improving the operating characteristics of the bearing. The foils are used in a plurality, with twin edges affixed to the plate and rings disposed relative to the central axis extending around the plate in a circumferential manner.
The wave spring used as a retaining means within an electrical connector, particularly in the connector coupling ring, has a spring deflection which is variable based upon the manufacturing tolerances of that spring and the amount of compression to which it is subjected.
The wave spring in its current design is unable to maintain a predetermined deflection and is inconsistent in its ability to be manufactured to specific spring tension requirements.
The wave spring commonly used in the fabrication of electrical connectors is operable to be fabricated inexpensively. However, its inconsistency in its ability to maintain deflection and inconsistency in its ability to be manufactured to a specific tension requirements limits its use.